


The Last Polaroid

by Bxbble_gxm



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst with a sad ending, Established Matt Holt/Shiro, F/M, Fluff, Get these children some therapy, Heavy Angst, Keith has a motorcycle, Love Triangles, Major Character Injury, Minor Allura/Lance (Voltron), Minor James Griffin/Keith (Voltron), Sad Ending, Slow Burn, Suicide, romelle owns a diner!!, romellurance love triangle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:32:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28738803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bxbble_gxm/pseuds/Bxbble_gxm
Summary: Life was about to start! Finally, Pidge was able to attend university with her friends.College life. Messy dorm rooms, a lot of stress, and maybe even some love.As she forgot her bag with all her stuff on the train, she met the boy who would genuinely save her life. What was his name again...?Queef? It was something like that at least. Nothing can go wrong!ooh noooo it all goes wrong!!!! This work originally came from my Wattpad
Relationships: Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt
Kudos: 2





	1. The Train

"SHIT!", she cursed. The cup tumbled down the shelf, onto the white tile floor. Panicked footsteps made their way to the kitchen.

"Katie, are you okay?!", her mother asked as she peeked her head around the corner.

"I'm fine.", she groaned. "Cup crashed again." She grabbed a paper towel to pick up the porcelain shards.

"Honey, I know you don't like the idea, but-"

"I don't need an extra step!!", she retorted before her mother could finish. "You guys put the cups on the highest shelf on purpose.", she mumbled, quite annoyed. Her head shot up at an even more annoying chuckle.

"Again, Pidge?"

"Shut up Matt."

"If you can't reach the cups, just ask me to get it for you, little sis.", he teased. Still, he kneeled down and helped Pidge with the shards. She glared up at him.

"Or you could give some of your height to me."

"Sure, let me just cut off my feet."

"Cut it out, you two.", their mother said as she grabbed a dark green cup from the shelf. Filling it with some coffee, she handed it to her daughter.

"Thanks, mom.", she said as she leaned back against the counter. She put the cup down and grabbed the carton of milk from the fridge. Another glare was shot at Matt.

"Asswipe." He gasped, exaggerating.

"ME? What did I do?"

"You took the last milk again and put the empty carton back in the fridge!" Matt grabbed the carton from her hand and flattened it.

"I know I usually do that to mess with you, but I swear, it wasn't me this time." Their dad entered the kitchen, a carton of milk in his hand.

"I found the perpetrator.", Colleen laughed.

"I plead guilty.", he said, handing his daughter the carton and ruffling her hair.

"DAD!" Pidge fixed her hair.

"Are you excited, Katie?", he asked grabbing himself a cup of coffee aswell.

"Nervous, you mean?"

"Don't be.", Matt intervened. "I was nervous aswell when I had my first day at Altea Uni. It went great, and I made some great friends." Pidge raised an eyebrow.

"Hmmm, yes, friend." Matt mouthed for her to shut it. "Aw, Matt, come on. We all know you're gay for Shiro.", she laughed. Matt glanced at his mother for support, his dad already joining in on the teasing.

She sipped her coffee. "She's right, you know."

"Mom!! You're supposed to be on my side!", he whined.

"I didn't sign a contract." Pidge snorted. She sat her cup back on the counter, glancing at the digital clock on the wall.

"I'm gonna go get my bags.", she said as she ran up the stairs. Sam turned to Matt.

"How come you don't need to go to campus yet?"

"Pidge is a first year, they need to arrive a few days earlier to get settled. We can go aswell, but I'd like to stay home a bit longer." Sam nodded.

"Are you bringing her to the train station?"

"I thought you wanted to do that? I mean your only daughter leaving for uni? What a touching goodbye.", he smirked.

"You're out of gas, aren't you?", Colleen asked.

"Maybe."

"Matt, for someone starting their last year in Robitics and Engineering, you are..."

"I'm what, dad?" His dad took another sip of coffee.

"Dumb. You're a dumbass, Matt."

Light, quick footsteps bumped down the stairs. Pidge scurried around the house, collecting some extra stuff before her departure. She unplugged her phone from the charger and grabbed her headphones. She opened the window, feeling the bright and warm September sun on her skin. Closing the window again, she figured to grab her sunglasses aswell. Pidge walked back into the kitchen.

"You ready, kid?", Sam asked. She nodded. Her mother gave her a tight hug.

"It feels like just yesterday when I changed your diapers..." Colleen had to hold back her tears. Pidge shook her head.

"Mom please don't start crying.", her voice shifted. "You know I'll cry too." Her mother embraced her again, choking back a sob. The young girl started crying aswell. Her mother pulled away.

"Call me when you arrive, okay?"

"I will. I love you, mom."

"I love you too, Katie. I'm gonna miss my little girl cussing the top shelf out." They laughed.

"I'll miss you too, mom. I'll be back as soon as possible, okay?" She nodded as she wiped both of their tears away.

"I'll see you monday, Asswipe.", she said, waving at Matt.

"You know it, Mini." She smiled.

"Alright, let's go Katie!"

"Bye guys!!", Pidge said as she and her father left the house.

She dropped her bags in the trunk and shut it tight. She sat down in the passenger seat, putting her sunglasses in her hair.

"Bring everything?", Sam asked.

"Yup! And if I forgot something, I can just ask Matt to bring it with him Monday." He nodded. He fired up the motor and they started making their way to the trainstation. The car ride was silent for a while.

"Are you okay, Katie? You're awfully quiet." He glanced at her quickly, returning his eyes to the road.

"I'm just... I'm scared.", she choked back a sob. "I-I mean... Who's gonna grab my cups from the shelf?" Sam laughed softly.

"Trust me, Katie, it's very hard for us too. But you're growing up. It's time you start learning how to live independently, and a college dorm is a perfect opportunity for that." He sighed. "I know you would rather stay home. But you'll do great, I'm sure of that. No matter what, your mother, brother and I are incredibly proud of you." Pidge smiled.

"I guess Allura can grab cups for me.", she joked. Her dad raised a brow.

"Katie, go wild, be free! Put the cups on the lowest shelf! But, don't tell your mother about that." They laughed. "Our little secret." He drove into an empty parking spot.

"Thanks for the talk, dad. It was nice.", she said, grabbing her backpack and suitcase from the trunk.

"You're welcome, Katie." He said as he locked the car. They walked towards the station platform. It was pretty crowded. Though mostly elderly people, there were people her age aswell, each carrying a suitcase.

"So I guess this is it, huh?" She felt tears dwell in her eyes once more. Two warm arms wrapped around her.

"The world's at your feet. Go show them what Katherine Holt is made of!" They pulled away from the hug, as the train was nearing the platform.

"Shit, already? I thought Matt said the train wouldn't be here for another half an hour!", Pidge cursed.

"He must've looked at the wrong day. I'll see you soon, Katie."

"Goodbye, dad. I love you."

"I love you too."

She gave him a final wave as she boarded the train. She took seat at a window.

So far, the train ride had been pretty relaxing. It was a few more minutes until she would arrive at the station closest to Altea Campus. Her hazel eyes dartled around the train pod, quickly meeting with what she thought were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. Violet isn't a colour you see a lot. It took her a smile from the stranger to realise she was staring. She smiled awkwardly, raising a hand in an apology. Realising she was at her stop, she scurried to grab her suitcase and make it off of the train. She wanted to grab her bottle of water from her backpack, when she felt the emptiness.

Her backpack was still on the train.

Pidge tried to make it back to the train, to no avail. Right as she made it to the door, it closed, and the train departed.

"Shit, wait!!", she yelled, trying to run after it. Realising it was no use, she slowed to a halt. She felt tears prickling her eyes. All the document she needed for the school and dorm room were in that backpack. Her wallet was, too.

"Hey.", she heard a voice from behind her. "You forgot something." Pidge turned around and she could start crying. It was the boy with the violet eyes, holding her lime coloured backpack.

"O-Oh my god, thank you so much!!", she said as she took the backpack from him.

"I thought it was a peculiar you left without it. Good thing I was a bit more alert than you were, eh?" Pidge glared. Is he Canadian or something? Eh?

"Yeah, sure, rub it in."

"Hey, I'm just messing with you. Keith.", he said, holding out his hand.

"Katie. But most people call me Pidge." She shook his hand.

"Want me to put my name in your phone, before you forget that aswell?", he said with a sly smirk on his face.

"Ha ha, very funny- Oh wow that was slick.", her voice changed from sarcasm to surprise. She grabbed her phone from the waistband of her skirt, since, surprise, it didn't have any pockets. "Keith, right?"

"That's me." She handed him his phone, and he put his number in. "Train boy, huh?", he raised a brow. He handed her her phone back. "I like that." Pidge felt some colour enter her face.

"So, where you headed?", she asked.

"The dorms of Altea Uni. I'd say you aswell, judging by the suitcase?" She nodded. "Want me to walk you there?"

"Sounds nice. I'm shit with directions." Keith smiled.

As they were walking, Pidge couldn't help but wonder as Keith felt familiar. She knew they'd never met before, but his facial structure and kindness felt... as if she had known him for a long time. Have they met before?

"Keith?" He looked down at her. "Where's your suitcase? You said you were headed there aswell." He nodded.

"My roommate, Lance, took them with him. There were some delays at home, my brother got off work later than planned, so Lance left without me." Pidge stopped walking.

"Lance McClain?"

"That's the bastard." She laughed.

"So you're the emo mulletman he keeps ranting about..."

"You guys know eachother?" The smaller one nodded.

"We went to highschool together. But since he and Hunk are older, they graduated sooner."

"Ah, your first year hmm? Fresh blood." Pidge gasped. "Everything okay, Pidge?"

"There's a Starbucks on campus? Hold on I gotta get some!" Keith followed her inside.

"Coffee shops on campus are quite normal, you know.", he teased.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up. I come from a highschool, alright? I got lucky if there was a vending machine with fucking Dasani water."

"Dasani, huh? That's tough. Keep in mind that Starbucks is heavily overpriced though."

"Honestly I'd rather be poor with a Toffee Nut Latte in my hand than spend one cent on that water." Keith smiled. He took her lime backpack so she could grab her wallet.

They placed their orders, and each went to collect their drinks once their names were called.

"You didn't have to pay for my tea, you know."

"You saved my life, Keith, it's the least I could do."

"I grabbed your backpack off the train."

"Yes, thus saving my life. You're my knight in shining armor, just admit it.", she smirked.

"Alright then, good lady." She laughed. "How long have we known eachother?"

"Like, an hour?" Pidge raised an eyebrow.

"Huh, feels longer than that." She laughed again.

"Hey, sometimes you hit it off with people. Especially if they save your life." Keith rolled his eyes as he took a sip of his drink. He hissed.

"Shit-"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just.."

"Forgot you ordered a warm drink?" He glared at her. "I would have taken you for a coffee person, to be fair."

"I am, but this Starbucks doesn't have any they don't put milk in. I'm lactose intolerant." Pidge stopped in her tracks.

"What?"

"Uhh, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just... You're the first lactose intolerant person I ever met who actually avoids lactose. I'm shook." She continued walking next to him.

"Excuse me for not liking feeling like absolute crap?", he questioned. He sported a puzzled look on his face. As Pidge opened her mouth to speak, her phone rang. She excused herself to Keith, and answered the phone.

"Space mom? What's up?"

"Hey, where are you?", Allura's kind voice rang.

"I'm on my way to the dorms, why?"

"I have two annoying nerds in my dorm who are annoying the quiznak out of me." Pidge laughed.

"I'll be right there, I got sidetracked a bit...", she said, glancing up at Keith. He raised an eyebrow. A smirk appeared on his face. "What are you smirking at, emo?"

"Huh?", Allura questioned.

"Oh sorry, that wasn't at you-" Pidge yelped as the aforementioned emo nudged her arm.

"Who's with you, Pidge? Is Matt with you?"

"No, a friend I made along the way. He's really annoying to be fair.", she laughed.

"Hey!", Keith said.

"Was that Keith?", Allura asked. Pidge wanted to nod, but realised she was on a phone call. And she wanted to tease Allura.

"I don't know a Keith. Weird name.", she smirked.

"Oh, I thought it sounded like Keith. Anyways, are you almost here? These two are bugging my head off."

"Yeah, like ten minutes. Unless I get distracted by Starbucks again." She could hear Allura frown.

"Really, Pidge? You got Starbucks?" A different voice interrupted them.

"Bring some for me!" Pidge groaned.

"Eat shit, Lance." Keith choked on his tea. "OH MY GOD ARE YOU OKAY??" Allura, I'm gonna hang up, this child is choking on his tea. I'll see you in a bit"

"Alright, see you, Pidge."

She hung up the phone, and rested her hand on Keith's back.

"Are you okay?", she laughed. He nodded, still coughing. He wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Let's just get to the dorms."

Once they arrived at the building and Pidge collected her key, the two of them made their way to her room.

"Hope you don't mind me coming along, Lance has my key and I don't think he'll be back soon." Pidge nodded.

"It's fine. Plus, I'd love to see the look on Allura's face." Keith laughed. The small girl placed her hand on the handle, and opened the door.

"Pidge!", the three of them sounded in unison and ran to hug the small female.

"Keith."

"Lance."

Allura looked puzzled. "Pidge, I'm confused. This is Keith."

"Huh? It thought your name was Gerald?", Pidge asked, sounding as serious as she could.

"Surprise.", he replied. Allura sighed, sitting down on the bed.

"What even brings you here, Keith?", Lance asked, looking quite annoyed.

"You have my key. You know, to the dorm room we share?" His mouth formed a small 'o', as he dug through his pockets to find it.

"You know what?", Hunk said, standing up from the bed that was soon-to-be Pidge's. "It's 1PM. Let's go grab some lunch." Allura gasped.

"We can finally introduce Pidge to Rocha's!", she exclaimed.

"Ro...cha's..?"

"It a pizza place right outside of campus. Last year we hung out there all the time.", Hunk answered.

"Romelle is going to be surprised not to see Shiro with us! Or, maybe think he turned into a tiny young girl.", Lance said. The shade.

"Speaking of Shiro, how is he, Keith?" Pidge glanced up at the mentioned boy. Now she knew why he felt so familiar.

"He's stressed from work, but all in all he's doing well. I don't see him a lot, he usually hangs out with his boyfriend.", he replied. Pidge gasped.

"Matt??" Keith nodded. "I KNEW IT! He kept on denying it but I KNOW that asshat better than anyone else-", she rambled as she plopped her bags on the bed.

The trio of Lance, Allura and Hunk had a difficult time containing their laughter because of the sheer confusement on Keith's face.

"Matt is Pidge's brother.", Hunk informed him. He turned to said girl. "And Shiro, is Keith's brother."

"I knew you looked familiar!", she laughed.

"Jokes on you, I'm adopted." Her eyes widened.

"W-Wait, huh? How? You guys look so much alike!", she said, squinting her eyes nearly shut. He shook his head.

"It's not something I like to talk about, so I say drop it before it gets out of hand." Keith looked away. A light frown decorated his face. Pidge frowned, aswell.

"It's okay Pidge, he's a grump.", Lance joked. "He has the temper of an angry old man who's neighbours are loud annoying kids. A boomer, so to say." Said old man shot him a glare.

"Who are you calling old, toddler?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TODDLER, YOU FOSSIL?"

"OH I'LL MAKE YOU A FOSSI-"

"CUT IT OUT YOU TWO!", Allura intervened. She cleared her throat. "Let's get some food. I'm sure Pidge is nervous enough as is, it's even more uncomfortable on an empty stomach!" With a loud 'hmpf' from both parties, the bickering came to a halt.


	2. Rocha's

"I'm sure you're familiar with pizzerias?", Allura asked as she walked next to Pidge, their arms hooked in one another. Instead of dry September weather, it had started raining. They shared a small pink umbrella, while the three children they called boys made it a competition of pushing eachother in the shallow puddles.

Well, Keith and Lance, at least. Hunk just sort of hyped them up while under his own umbrella, enjoying their iconic banter.

"Well yeah, ofcourse! I live in a small town, but we have a Pizza Hut.", the smallest replied to her.

"Rocha's isn't really comparable to a Pizza Hut. It's more like... Uh.. Oh wait this is hard."

"It's like, a mix of Chucky Cheese and a regular restaurant!", Hunk chimed.

"Oh hell no, I don't want any of that creepy ass animatronic bullshit! I've played enough FNAF to know where that goes!", Pidge objected. Hunk and Allura laughed.

"It's okay, Pidge. It's mostly a normal pizzeria, but it just has a lot of arcade games.", she replied. If Pidge were a dog, this is where her ears would have perked up.

"Arcade games, you say?", she smirked.

"They're retro.", Hunk whispered. She flashed a bright smile. Their conversation was cut short by a, very manly, shriek. Lance had succesfully tackled Keith into a puddle. The two of them stood up, and Keith wrung out his jacket.

"You ass, my phone is in here!", he glared. Lance laughed.

"I hope it's water-resistant, Mullet~", he teased. "Oh, we're here!" He ran towards the glass doors.

"Ooooohhh, someone's excited to see Romelle~!", Hunk teased as everyone walked through the door.

"Hunk, I'm always excited to see a pretty lady." Pidge looked up at Allura, smirking.

"You're never excited to see me... Am I not pretty?", she asked. Allura had to hold in her laughter.

"U-Uh I uh... It's different! You're like my little sister...?" Keith nudged him.

"Nice save, Romeo.", he laughed. Everyone, except for Lance, joined in. They hung their coats and umbrellas on the coat rack and went down the stairs.

It was fascinating. The place was lit up by LED-lights, there were arcade games, the bar, diner-style booths... There was even a stage!

"Perplexing, huh?", Keith said.

"This place is so cool!"

"What's even cooler is the discount we get because of Romelle.", he said, grabbing her wrist and leading her to the booth they always hung out last school year. They sat down. Keith, Pidge and Allura on one bench, Lance and Hunk on the other.

"What do you guys recommend-", as Pidge was asking the question, everyone outside of Keith groaned.

"Do you really have to ask that while Keith's around?", Allura asked.

"He likes pineapple on pizza.", Hunk said.

"What? It's great! You guys are just influenced by the internet. Right, Pidge?" Silence loomed over the table as everyone looked at Pidge. She raised the menu over her face.

"I like it...", she muttered, quietly. Keith wrapped his arm around her, cheering.

"Someone who understands me!" The small brunette felt a small blush crawl to her cheeks at the warmth around her shoulders.

"Well well, aren't you all excited? I knew you'd miss me!", a cheerful voice rang.

"Romelle!", Allura greeted.

"So, did Shiro shrink or what's the tea? Finally got a girlfriend, Keith?" He retracted his arm and frowned.

"You know I don't date, Romelle."

"I'm Pidge! Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, Pidge! I'm Romelle, as you might have guessed. Glad to see a new member to the crew!", she laughed. "What can I get y'all? The usual?" Everyone nodded. "What would you like, Pidge?"

"I'll have a Pizza Hawaii." Allura shoved her.

"You and Keith are gross." They laughed.

"No, Lura, they have taste.", Romelle winked. "At least they don't want tuna on their pizza." A frown decorated Allura's frown.

"It's really good, you know."

"Yeahhh, I'll leave that tasting up to you!", she laughed. "Your orders will be here in about 40 minutes. Why not show Pidge around the place, boys?", she looked towards Hunk and Lance.

"Last one to DDR is a rotten egg!", Lance yelled, him and Hunk running off.

"Oh fuck you and your long legs!", she ran after them.

"I'm gonna put these orders through and I'll be right with you, Keith.", Romelle said. He nodded, and she headed to the kitchen.

Keith grabbed his phone from his pocket, wrapping it up in a paper napkin, hoping to soak the water out of it. Allura fidgeted.

"Keith...?" He looked over at her.

"Yeah?"

"Do you really uh... think you're never dating again?", she glanced over at the arcade.

"For now it's a solid yes.", he frowned at her. "You know how I feel about the situation. I. Need. Time." Allura sighed.

"I know, I just..." He glanced over at the arcade aswell, then back at her. He sighed.

"Can we just- Can we drop this? I don't want to get upset on Pidge's first day here." Allura nodded. Their conversation was cut short by a stack of papers dropped in front of Keith.

"Fill in, big boy.", Romelle said, sitting down across from them. He took the pen from her hand and started filling in the documents. "I'm surprised someone actually wanted to take the late shifts. Especially with school, I'd say."

"I mean, it's a Friday night shift, so I'm free the next day. I need the money, so why not?"

"You're still saving up for that motorcycle?", Allura asked.

"It's not just any motorcycle! It's a Ducati Panigale V2!", he snapped at her.

"Isn't that thing like 16 000 dollars?", Romelle questioned.

"...Maybe. I got a loan from the bank, but I need a job to pay it off ofcourse.", he replied, signing the last paper and handing it back to her. She smiled.

"Welcome to the team, Queef!" He groaned, slamming his head onto the table.

~~~

Pidge plomped back down inbetween Keith and Allura, exhausted. She had her arms full with plush animals she had won with tickets. A bright, happy, yet tired smile plastered her face.

"I kicked their asses."

"I knew you would!", Allura replied. She grabbed her tote bag off the floor to dump the plushies into. "I'll go get the boys, Romelle's on her way I see." She stood up and made her way towards the arcade hall. Keith and Pidge shared the bench in a somewhat awkward silence.

"So... Were you the rotten egg?", he asked her. She threw her head back.

"Yeah... Damn small legs..." He nudged her arm.

"Hey, at least you kicked their asses." She smiled, nodding. Romelle put the plates down in front of them, and said she'll be back with the rest in a bit.

"Keith?"

"Hm?"

"If I may ask, what was that all about not doing dating?" He choked on his lemonade. She always had this lovely timing, didn't she?

"Uh, I... It's a really long story.. and personal..." He glanced over at her. "I'll explain once we get to know eachother better." She nodded. Allura and the boys arrived at the table, and they could all dig in to some delicious pizza.


	3. Movie Night

There was a soft knock on the door. Pidge groaned and turned off her music, pushing her chair back. She placed her hand on the doorknob, and opened the door.

"Keith? What are you doing here?", she asked.

"We need to talk.", he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back inside.

"W-Why? What's going on?" She asked as they sat down on the bed. He shushed her with his finger.

"We don't have much time.", he said, glancing back and forth between Pidge and the door. "Let's get out of here. Grab your stuff." He stood up and headed towards the door.

"Keith, what the hell is going on?!", she shouted, standing up. She was surprised Allura hadn't woken up yet. When he turned back around, she saw the tear tracks on his face. Has that scar on his cheek always been there?

"Pidge, please... We have to go..." He reached out for her to take his hand.

A loud beeping entered Pidge's ears as she shot awake. She saw Allura at the edge of her own bed, putting some binders in her backpack.

"Goodmorning, Pidge. Did you sleep well?" The smaller girl dismissed her alarm.

"U-Uhm, yeah, I think so? I had a weird dream."

"Oh? What was it about?", she raised an eyebrow.

"I-uh... Keith, he, he came into our room-" Allura smirked.

"My my Pidge, it's only been a few days and you're already dreaming of him!"

"You didn't let me finish.", she replied, annoyed. She threw the covers off of her and headed towards her still unpacked suitcase. "He said we had to go, like he was running away from something. It's confusing, but just a dream so it doesn't matter.", she said, grabbing underwear and clothes from said suitcase.

"Fair point. You should really unpack your suitcase this weekend, by the way.", Allura said, finishing up packing her binders.

"Maybe, yeah. You got an 8am?" She nodded, grabbing her jacket and getting ready to leave.

"Pidge?"

"Hm?", she replied as she pulled her shirt over her head.

"Are you gonna be alright for your first day?"

"Allura, I'm not a kid anymore. I'm turning 20 in a few months.", she frowned as she looked down at the floor. Glancing back up at the tall girl, she flashed a quick smile. "I'll be fine. Thanks for worrying."

"It is my pleasure, Pidge. I'll see you this evening, alright?"

"Yeah. Bye, Allura."

"Bye, Pidge!" Allura closed the door behind her.

And so she was alone for the first time in a while. She made her way to her desk and reached for a hairtie. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail, eyes skimming over her schedule. Her first class, Electricity, started at 10am. She figured it would be a good idea to wash her face before all of the first day havoc, especially considering her rather strange dream. As she grabbed a washcloth and headed over to the sink by the toilet, there was a knock on the door. She groaned as she turned off the tap and threw the washcloth in the small puddle of water which had formed in the sink.

She opened the door, revealing a familiar tall floof.

"SHIRO!", she yelled, engulfing him in a hug. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey there Pidge!"

"Oh huhhh, you're just gonna ignore me??", a second voice called out. Pidge let go of Shiro and frowned.

"I saw you like last week, asswipe." Matt laughed.

"I missed you too, little sis.", he teased, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up. She shrieked.

"Ughh, what brings you here?" He put her down, booping her nose.

"Just checking in with my little sister ofcourse! Also, Shiro had to bring some stuff for his brother, so I figured to drag him along!"

"Ah, I wouldn't have seen Keith as a forgetful type?", she questioned.

"You two already met?", Shiro asked. Pidge nodded. "How, if I may ask?" A blush crept to her face, which resulted in annoyed expression on Matt's face.

"U-Uh...I..."

"Yes?", her older brother questioned impatiently.

"It's a long story uh.. I... We made awkward eye contact in the train and when I got off I forgot my backpack on the train with all of my stuff on it so I was on the verge of a mental breakdown because I couldn't get back on the train on time but it turned out that he had noticed that I left my bag so he took it when he got off and gave it to me and that's how we met." She quietly gasped for air. Matt burst out laughing.

"OFCOURSE that is something that happens to YOU!", he said inbetween laughter. Shiro let out a little laugh aswell.

"I'm glad it turned out well for you in the end, Pidge.", he said. "Ignore your brother."

"Trust me, I'm used to doing that."

"Oooi, that's not very nice!"

"It's not nice to laugh at your sister either, Matt."

"You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I never signed a contract." Pidge snorted.

"You sound like my mother, Shiro.", she said. She retrieved a laugh from him, too. When she caught Matt googoo-eyeing him, she remembered she still had to whoop his ass. "RIGHT. Before I forget.", she said, grabbing her pillow. She started beating Matt in the face with it.

"Ow! Ow- Pidge stop!", he laughed. "What is your problem, child?!"

"The fact that you didn't tell me you and Shiro are dating!!"

"You never told her? Did you tell your parents?" Matt's playful expression shifted slightly. He felt guilt crawl down his back.

"I-I..." Pidge halted her pillow attack, exchanging glances with Shiro, then back to her brother. "I didn't..." His boyfriend sat down next to him and placed a hand on his back.

"Is everything okay, Matt?" Pidge started to feel a little guilty herself. The mood shifted so quickly.

"I guess I'm just scared. I never fully came out to dad and I... I know he won't be mad but it's just... so terrifying.." Pidge noticed tears prickling in his eyes. She handed him a tissue.

"How about we go home for autumn break? It can be like the old times, the four of us. We can go out trick or treating!"

"Yeah, we haven't gone since I left for uni..." He looked up at her.

"And you can find a moment in which you could tell dad."

"But.. I'm scared there won't be a good moment."

"Matt." He looked at Shiro. "There won't ever be a moment that feels perfect. There will always be things that feel wrong. But that's okay. Sam loves you for who you are, not for who you like. Colleen is there to support you, and so is Pidge." He wrapped his arms around him.

"I love you...", Matt whispered.

"I love you too, Matt." Pidge squealed.

"Oi, when are you finding a boyfriend, hetero?", he asked his sister. He was greeted with the pillow again.

"Unlike YOU, I am here to study and get a decent job."

"Ohh, loosen up a little.", he said, standing up. He yoinked the pillow from her hands.

"Isn't Lance something for you? Matt said you had a massive crush on him in middle school."

"Gee, Matt, so much for keeping secrets.", she frowned. "That was middle school. Plus, he has a crush on Allura."

"Gee, Pidge, so much for keeping secrets.", Matt laughed.

"Everyone knows, asswipe." She flinched as she was hit by her own pillow.

"Theeeeen, what about emo boy?" Shiro choked. Not sure on what, but he did.

"U-Uh I don't know if uh-"

"No way.", Pidge stammered, a crimson red covering her face.

"Ooo, is that a little blushie blushie I seee?? Don't worry mini, we won't tell him~"

"Shiro please help me."

"You know there is no way stopping him.", said floof replied, standing up. "Anyways, Matt, we should head to Keith before he leaves for class." Matt frowned.

"Fineeeeeee." He turned his attention to his sister again. "But you're not rid of me. My teasing will prevail."

"Shut up.", Pidge replied, walking the two of them back to her door.

"I'll see you around Pidge!", Shiro said.

"Sure thing!"

"Especially if you end up dating his bro- OOF" His sentence was cut short with Shiro's elbow in his stomach.

"Bye, Pidge."

"Bye Shiro!" She closed the door behind them and made her way back to the small bathroom. She put some soap on the washcloth and quickly was her face. As she rinsed off the soap, her eyes met her reflection. There were still tints of red on her face, though she wasn't sure if it was because of her blushing earlier or the friction of the washcloth. 'Probably the latter.', she thought. Though as she was getting her bag ready, she couldn't help but ponder why she got so flustered over the mention of Keith in the first place, and not Lance. 

"I'll just talk about it with Allura tonight...", she whispered to herself as she swung her bag over her shoulder and leaving her dorm, locking the door behind her. 

Once she arrived in the actual school part of campus, she grabbed her map to try and figure out where to go. It all went to shit as she walked into someone. The map fell on the ground. Pidge apologised like crazy as the both of them reached down to grab it. Their hands touched.

"U-Uh, here you go!", the boy handed her the map.

"Thank you... Again, sorry for bumping into you!" She looked up at him and was met with two, rather pretty, brown eyes looking back at her.

"It's no problem! Though best watch where you're going.", he laughed. "I didn't catch your name?"

"I'm tempted to say I didn't throw it, but that would be very cliché." He laughed again. "My name's Katie."

"Nice to meet you, Katie. I'm James. So where are you headed? I could give you directions or, maybe even walk you there?"

"Electricity. And sure, that sounds nice.", she felt a soft blush redden her cheeks. James was a sweet boy. Really sweet.

-

As the days went by, Pidge found herself enjoying university life more and more. Sure, it was a lot more work than high school, but she felt a lot more free. Despite her mother still calling her nearly everyday. She was working on a paper for her Logistics class as she received a text on her phone. She smiled at the sight of the name.

Train Boy: qq, you busy?

Me: Working on a paper for logistics, what's up?

Train Boy: well uh

Train Boy: lance mentioned you were really good at math back in highschool, so i was wondering if maybe you have the time to help me out with an assignment? i'll treat you to starbucks!!

Me: Oh boy, keep in mind you're in the third year. I can try at least, but no promises. Shall I come over?

Train Boy: you're a life saver i love you so much <333333333

Me: I'm aware. I'll be right there ;P

She put her phone in her pocket and quickly reached in her backpack for a tube of Pringles. She threw on a jacket and made her way to Keith's dorm. On her way there, she ran into a familiar face.

"Hi, Pidge!" Said girl looked up from her phone.

"Romelle, hey! What are you doing here?"

"I was actually just on my way to your dorm!", she laughed. "Allura and I are going to grab some dinner together." Pidge raised an eyebrow.

"My, my, am I missing something?" The blonde blushed.

"N-No, we're just friends! Really!"

"I'm just messing with you. Enjoy your dinner!"

"Thanks you to- wait, where are you headed?"

"I'm going to Keith, he asked for some help with math."

"Should I be the one growing suspicious?", Romelle smirked.

"No. Definitely not. Plenty of boys on campus that would actually take interest in me.", she scoffed.

"What, you think he wouldn't be interested? Honey, he works the late shifts at Rocha's, I know what that boy is into." Pidge squinted.

"What are you implying?"

"That you're his type, Pidge. You should shoot your shot.", she said, taking a swig of her bottle of coke. Pidge blushed.

"W-Whatever, just get to your date with Allura.", she said.

"It's not a date!", Romelle replied, already walking away.

"Neither is mine!"

"Suuuure~!"

Pidge groaned as she put on the hood of her jacket, in a foul attempt to hide her blushy cheeks. She found her heart beating in her chest as she stood in front of Keith's door. Romelle's words lingered in her mind. She shook her head, shaking away the thoughts. She knocked on the door.

He looked gorgeous. His dark black hair was pulled back in a small bun, slightly ruffled yet not too much to make it appear uncombed, his T-shirt hanging loosely over his body. Pidge could tell you every detail in a heartbeat. And god, those eyes. Those violet eyes.

"Pidge? Are you okay?", he said, waving a hand in front of her face.

"W-What...? Oh, yeah, I-I'm fine!", she laughed.

"You seemed pretty out of it. Are you tired?", Keith said, moving to the side so she could enter his dorm.

"A little, yeah. I've been having some stress due to assignments, but nothing I can't manage.", she smiled, as she walked into the room.

"I'll make you some coffee in that case." He ruffled her hair. She resisted the urge to laugh as she sat down on his bed.

"How dare you touch my hair, filthy peasant!" He turned around to face her, a purple empty cup in his hand. He walked closer to her and put the cup down on the bedside table. He rested his hands on the bed, next to her hips. He leaned in closer. Pidge felt a slight blush creep to her face with how close Keith's was.

"Tough talk for a fella within yoinking distance."

"Y-Yoinking distance...?"

In a second she was lifted off the bed. As she shrieked, Keith carried her over his shoulder.

"I hate you with a burning passion."

"The feeling's mutual, bitch." He put her back down and gave her a playful nudge on the shoulder. "I'll get the coffee now, my math folder is on the desk if you want to take a look.", he said as he went back to the Dolce Gusto on the small table next to the door.

Pidge stood up and made her way over to his desk. She brushed her fingers over the pages. Though it was mostly math equations, there were also small doodles on the pages. She recognised one of them as a small Bakugou from My Hero Academia. Keith's handwriting was very clean, almost feminine. On his desk were plenty of other red folders. Some of them had doodles of small lions on them, drawn in sharpie. She felt an arm creep around her side. A purple mug appeared.

"So, do you think you can help me?", Keith asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

Right. She hadn't even looked at what he was learning yet. She was too fixated on the little doodles that covered the pages.

"Right, uh, lemme get a look...", she flipped through the book. She took a sip of her coffee. It was very sweet.

"Two sugarcubes and almond milk, as usual." Her eyes widened.

"You remembered that from last week?" Keith shrugged.

"It just stuck with me.", he smirked. "So, do you think you can help me?", he asked with puppy eyes.

Pidge sighed. "I would and I really want to, but I'm sorry this is just Chinese to me." Keith's head drooped down. "Maybe you could ask Hunk or Matt?" He ran a hand through his hair.

"Probably, yeah. Thanks for taking a look, anyways.", he smiled.

"No problem. Well now that I'm here anyways, wanna watch a movie or something?", Pidge asked, settling on Keith's bed. She grabbed her laptop and the tube of Pringles from her backpack. Keith settled himself next to her.

"Sure thing. What did you have in mind?"

"Allura's been telling me about this movie she watched with Romelle, 365 Days. She said it was pretty good, so what about that one?"

"What's it about?"

"Apparently it's a cheesy romance movie." Keith raised an eyebrow.

"And you wanna watch that? With me?" Her eyes widened.

"W-Wait no that's n-not what I'm implying--"

"It's okay, I'm aware.", he laughed. "You're just too fun to tease.", Keith said as he stuck out his tongue.

"You sound like my brother."

"I'm disgusted."

"As you should be. Here, I found the movie."

"Next time I'm picking the movie though."

"Yeah yeah whatever just shut up emo." She clicked play, and the two of them spent the night doing something they will most definitely regret later.


	4. The Late Shift

It had started getting late. Keith was still working his shift at Rocha's. As he finished up cleaning the last tables, he heard a familiar voice chime through the room.

"Keith! Can you pass the keys?" He turned to Romelle, digging the keys of the pizza place out of his pocket. He tossed it to her.

"How come you're here? I thought you hired me because you needed the Friday nights off?" The blonde fumbled with the keys.

"U-Uh.. I have a little date..." Keith raised an eyebrow.

"A date, huh?", he said as he took off his apron. He made his way to the back of the kitchen to hang the apron on the coat rack. He grabbed his backpack. "With who, if I may ask?" Romelle rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Lance..." His eyes widened.

"W-What?!" Keith turned around to face her. "Out of everyone you could have said yes to a date to, you chose Lance?" Romelle's eyes aimed at the floor.

"I... I like him, okay?" Her voice sounded rather sad. "I wish I didn't." They talked as they walked to one of the dining booths.

"How so? Is it such a bad thing that you like him?"

"There's someone that likes me. She told me a while ago, and I just... I feel so guilty I can't return her feelings." Romelle placed her head down on the table, onto her arms. It was like a switch was turned on in Keith's head.

"Is this about Allura...?" Romelle nodded. Keith could feel the secondhand embarrassment rising.

Allura likes Romelle.  
Romelle likes Lance.  
Lance likes Allura.

Keith's thought process was set to a halt as he heard quiet sobs coming from the girl in front of him. He felt so awkward and uncomfortable. He was never good with feelings, and now he felt as if he had to 'fix' someone else's. He hesistantly placed his hand on Romelle's arm.

"There there.", he said. Was that rude? "It'll be okay in the end. Even if things don't go as planned, it won't ruin the friendship everyone's built up over the years." Romelle looked up at him. "Try and enjoy your night with Lance as much as possible. Try to get Allura out of your head for now." He smiled at her.

"Thank you, Keith...", she said as she wiped her tears. There was a small line of mascara below her eyes. "Even though you always say you're bad with emotions, you should know that it's always your words that can cheer the others up." She smiled.

"T-Thanks..." He checked the time on his phone and got up. "I don't know at what time Lance will be here, but I think it's about time I got home." He swung his backpack around his shoulder. "You're gonna do great, okay?"

"I'll try. See you tomorrow, Keith."

"Goodnight, Romelle."

As soon as he walked inside the dorm building, Keith took out his earphones. He took off his hood and made his way up to the third floor.  
On his way to his and Lance's dorm room, he passed an all too familiar door.

Katherine Holt & Allura Melenor

He stood still for a moment, pondering if he should give it a knock or not. His heart was beating in his chest.

He hasn't felt like this in a while. The last time he felt like this was with... Needless to say, it backfired. It caused him to give up on dating completely. Or at least, for quite the while.

So he didn't have a crush on Pidge. He denied it. His heart rate picking up in speed, he denied it. His cheeks growing warmer when she spoke his name, he denied it. His fascination when her eyes lit up while she spoke about engineering or creating stuff, he denied it.

He wasn't falling in love. And as long as he kept denying that, it would be that way. As he wrapped up thinking, the door opened abruptly. He never knocked. Pidge jumped as she saw him.

"Fuck, Keith, you scared me.", she whispered.

"I could say the same, I didn't even knock!", he replied. She shushed him.

"Allura's asleep, be quiet." She closed the door behind her, and spoke at a regular, but still toned down volume. "So what are you doing here, emo boy?"

"Oh, uh, I was just on my way to my room. What about you?" Her cheeks turned a reddish color.

"I-uh... No, it's embarrassing..." Keith raised an eyebrow.

"What is so embarrassing you can't tell the person you watched 365 Days with?"

"P-Please don't remind me of that." Pidge sighed and drooped her head. "I couldn't sleep because I was hungry. So I wanted to sneak out to get some food."

"And that's something to be embarrassed about because...?"

"I-I don't know! I guess I feel embarrassed about it because I'm usually a small eater." He laughed.

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm rather more worried about the fact you're going out on your own this late." Pidge groaned as she started walking.

"Let me guess, because I'm a small girl?" He walked next to her.

"Well, yeah. I'm sorry I don't wanna come off as if I don't believe in you-"

"It's fine.", she said as she stopped. "I get it a lot." Keith grew even more worried.

"Again, Pidge, I'm so... so sorry..." She turned around to face him.

"I don't blame you. I'm aware that I'm small and don't look intimidating." She held out her hand. He started to feel weary if he should accept her hand holding offer.

"I mean, never judge a book by its cover...?", Keith said, hesitantly grabbing Pidge's hand. Before he knew it, his arm was twisted behind his back, and he landed face first on the floor.

"Exactly. I've been doing karate ever since I was 6, and have my exam for my black belt soon." Keith winced.

"Jesus f-fuck, you're strong-" Pidge snickered.

"I know." She got off of him. Keith stood up, rubbing the wrist that was held by Pidge's hand.

"I didn't know you did karate. What style do you do?"

"Shotokan. I've been doing it for approximately 14 years now."

"How come you haven't gotten your black belt yet then?" The both of them had started walking.

"Well, in the club I train in you can only do your exam once you turn 18. Then, due to a lot of projects and junk in senior year of high school, I had to skip out a year when I turned old enough." Keith smiled.

"I mean, judging by the bruising which will probably form on my wrist, I'm sure you can do it." She laughed.

"I hope so, yeah. And uh, sorry about that."

"It's fine." His eyes met hers.

It were the beautiful violet eyes Pidge had grown to love more and more. She would never say it out loud, neither to Hunk, Lance or Allura, but there was something there. At least, she felt something. She wasn't sure what it was. A small crush? Love?

Pidge had never had a boyfriend before. There were boys that liked her, but she never felt interested in them. Not like how she felt interested in Keith.  
But he didn't do "dating". At least, that's what everyone, including him, was saying.

"So where are you figuring to grab some food?", Keith broke the silence.

"O-Oh, uh... Well, I assume Rocha's won't a possibility because you're here..."

"How about the nearest KFC?"

"Are you nuts? That's like an hour walk." Keith shrugged.

"We can take my motorcycle. Might as well use it now that I've got it, hehe." Pidge felt some color drain from her face.

"Please don't let me fall.", she winced.

"You won't fall as long as you hold on tight!", Keith said as they walked through the front doors of the dorm complex.

"That won't be a problem.", Pidge muttered quietly.

"Hm?"

"O-Oh, nothing!." The two of them stopped at a red motorbike, decorated with some thick black stripes. Keith grabbed a helmet from what Pidge presumed was his locker, and placed it on her head.

"I feel like you might need this more than I do." He kicked back the stand of the motorcycle, and turned it to face the exit of the bike garage. He hopped on, and motioned Pidge to do the same. She sat down behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.

"Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

"Hey, it'll be fine. You'll love it, I swear."

And so they were off

-

Keith was awoken by some voices in the hallway. Checking the time, he saw it was about 11:30AM. He sat up straight. He recognized one of the voices as Lance. He probably got caught up in a chat while on his way to Hunk.  
Keith threw the covers of the bed off of him, making his way over to the small kitchenette that was in their room. He grabbed a red cup and placed it under the Dolce Gusto, letting it run. He groaned at the sight of the sink, filled with a blue cup and bowl. Lance didn't do his fucking dishes *again*. Keith grabbed his cup of coffee and sat down on his bed. Although it wasn't of his usual doing, he couldn't help but listen to the voices outside the door. He could make up some of what was said.

"You really fucked him over, you know?", he heard Lance say. Who on earth was he talking to? As he was trying to figure it out, the dots connected when the other voice spoke again.

"He's looking too much into it. It's in the past, can't be undone."

Keith felt his stomach turn. His eyes pricked, and he had a knot in his throat. He didn't want to cry. It wasn't worth it. He decided it was best to focus on his phone, rather than the conversation outside. He saw a Messenger notification from his brother.

a raging homosexual: Hey Keith, Matt and I are going to a restaurant this evening. He asked Pidge aswell, want to join us?

Sometimes Keith gets scared he's seeing Pidge too much. But to be frank, he wouldn't complain to seeing her again.

Pan king: sure, sounds good. ill be omw to u in a bit tho, hes outside.

a raging homosexual: James??

Pan king: yea.. hes talking with Lance

a raging homosexual: Why on earth is he there? I'll text Matt to come pick you up.

Pan king: thank you, Shiro

a raging homosexual: No problem, Keith

No longer distracted by the text conversation with Shiro, his attention was brought back to the conversation outside. It sounded very hostile. Keith would never dare to admit it to anyone, but Lance really was his best friend. He didn't take anyone's shit, especially not if it came from James.

"Literally, get the fuck out of here. Why are you even here to begin with?", Lance spoke.

"I have a question for Keith."

"Access denied, turn around."

"It's literally just one que-"

"James, leave it be." Keith could differentiate Matt's voice. "He doesn't want to see you, don't push him to that. Ask me what you want to ask him."

"... It's about Katie." Keith's eyes widened. He couldn't help but stand up and open the door. Before he could, Matt was already very annoyed.

"Why in heaven's sake do you need to ask Keith about my sister. What are your plans with her? Hm?"

Keith opened the door.

"Leave, James. Please."

"Keith, please just let me-"

"Let me be civil about this.", he said between gritted teeth. His gaze was at the floor. No way he could look at James. "Leave."

"Just wanted to ask why you two left on a motorcycle last night.", James said, leaving.

The three of them let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for defending me. You too, Lance."

"Not a problem, Mullet. I can't stand you but I won't let anyone talk about you like that." They smiled.

"But uh, forreal though.", Matt started. "Why did you and Pidge leave on a motorcycle?"

"We went to KFC. She was hungry and I didn't feel too comfortable letting her walk alone at 11PM." Lance raised an eyebrow.

"She can easily kick your ass, you know." Keith glanced at his now bruised wrist.

"I figured." Matt gave him a soft punch on the arm.

"Go get dressed, emo."


End file.
